TSMMT Ch 66

Sentence and Marriage

Dianna recovered and stood up after suffering from the illness for about a week. Curse it all, the fever vanished without leaving a single trace, leaving her mind excessively clear.

She drifted into old memories. In her past life, she had shouted that she would report her situation to the Pope. What a hopeful statement that was. Her past self was so foolishly naive it brought a bitter smile to her lips. She had harbored the comfortable delusion that the Pope's righteousness would drive him to turn against the King of Lodbrog to save her.

She had been ignorant enough to assume a king naturally maintained good relations with the Pope. How could a nation carrying the bloodline of the founding king—the original dragonslayer—ever form a close bond with the Kronosotia Order, the religious group that worshipped dragons as sacred messengers of God?

In Panborough, it was merely called the temple, but in the Lodbrog Kingdom, people used this name. Her past ignorance disgusted her.

As time passed, Dianna seriously considered methods to end her life. She thought of hanging herself if she could find a cord, but unfortunately, the servants banned all ribbons.

Whenever she ate, the knights strictly watched her use of utensils. Drowning herself remained impossible as well, since the maids constantly attended to her baths. She considered jumping, but her chambers sat on the third floor; leaping would only break a limb rather than kill her. It would only result in harsher treatment.

It was the same in the past. Back when she attempted to escape from that place……

Unconsciously, she wrapped her arms around her own frame and closed her eyes tightly.

Why did I only weep back then instead of choosing death? Then again, I was an absolute fool who didn't even know how to die.

She mocked her past self coldly.

[Mable] "His Majesty will be busy inspecting the territory for the time being."

She nodded at Mable's words. Mable studied her face.

She probably expects me to show regret. I feel no regret.

Guiscard had behaved the same way in her past life. He would vanish, only to appear out of nowhere later and turn her world upside down.

With death occupying her mind, her thoughts revolved entirely around suicide. She no longer shrieked or wept in sorrow as she had in the past; she remained calm. She merely felt anxious, like someone failing to complete a necessary task.

Dianna finally realized the truth. Facing a predictable future disgusted her. She would cast away a life that promised no improvement.

Gaining control over her own life brought a sudden sense of excitement. This was a battle she was bound to win anyway. Vigilance always falters eventually. Given enough time, she would find a way to die.

Just then, a knock sounded at the door. At her command to enter, a boy appeared. It was Logaple, a youth with gray hair and freckles.

[Logaple] "My Lady."

He offered a bright smile as he looked at her. The boy visited her occasionally. Yet Dianna felt puzzled whenever she saw the young knight. They had only spent a brief moment together on the road back to the capital. Why did he show such kindness? Was he not the very knight who lost his life because of her choices in her past life?

[Dianna] "Will you not face trouble, Sir Knight, for visiting so frequently?"

[Logaple] "His Majesty was the one who appointed me as your personal guard, My Lady."

[Dianna] "……."

[Logaple] "I suppose it is because I have many older sisters."

Was this a form of consideration? Reflecting on it, Logaple's assignment as her guard in both timelines meant it was no mere coincidence.

Observing her expression, Logaple spoke in a cheerful voice.

[Logaple] "I understand a woman's heart perfectly!"

He thumped his chest as if asking her to trust him. Dianna gave a bitter smile at the display.

[Dianna] "Then, what do you think is in my heart right now?"

[Logaple] "That is easy!"

He would surely offer predictable words like anxious, trembling, or terrified. Logaple stared at her clear face, his expression turning bitter as he spoke.

[Logaple] "You are only thinking about how to die."

[Dianna] "……."

Her composure shattered instantly.

Can he read minds? How does he know that?

Logaple was eccentric. The boy possessed childish traits, yet he harbored a sharp insight that pierced right through her facade.

[Logaple] "People who resolve to end their own lives act that way. They actually become brighter."

How do you know that?

Logaple gazed at Dianna with deep sorrow. The boy furrowed his brow, starting to speak before closing his mouth and forcing a smile.

[Logaple] "You don't want to marry, do you?"

[Dianna] "……."

[Logaple] "You loathe it enough to welcome death, don't you?"

[Dianna] "……."

[Logaple] "Why? His Majesty holds you in his heart. That is why he intends to take you as his bride……"

[Dianna] "Sir Knight, phrasing it that way makes our dynamic sound sweet."

She let out a short laugh.

[Dianna] "Holding someone in one's heart must carry a different meaning to him."

[Logaple] "……."

[Dianna] "Forcing someone into an unwanted marriage is not how you treat a person you care for."

Her words cut straight to the core, possessing an absolute certainty that left even Logaple unable to counter.

[Dianna] "He intends to punish me."

A punishment. That was exactly what this dynamic was—a retribution the King imposed upon her.

[Logaple] "But you helped His Majesty escape, My Lady. Why would he punish you?"

She gestured a refusal at the uncomprehending question.

What does that even matter?

In her past life, Dianna had also helped Guiscard escape. Yet he still chose this exact path. In this life, she secured his official freedom from slavery. Nevertheless, his actions remained virtually identical. Guiscard invaded Panborough, and the House of Brienne faced absolute ruin.

The boy evidently viewed the world through a lens of pure beauty, mirroring the way children who read romance novels do.

[Dianna] "Because I carry the bloodline of those accursed people."

[Logaple] "……I can't understand it."

[Dianna] "Thank you, Sir Knight. I am grateful that you can't comprehend it."

She burst into a bright, genuine smile.

Countless people had pointed fingers at her, labeling her a criminal. Hearing that someone found her punishment incomprehensible brought immense relief.

[Logaple] "Even so, My Lady, I refuse to believe only terrible things await you."

[Dianna] "……."

[Logaple] "If you loathe it that much, if you truly find it unbearable, please attempt to speak with His Majesty."

[Dianna] "……."

[Logaple] "A punishment possesses an end, but a marriage doesn't."

Dianna paused in confusion at his statement. A sudden wave of emotion rippled through her chest. The pitiful boy knight who had perished because of her in the past timeline had just delivered an unexpected solution: the concept of a sentence.

[Dianna] "Should I really try to speak with His Majesty?"

[Logaple] "Of course, My Lady. Absolutely."

Could anything more horrific possibly unfold?

---

Guiscard pressed a hand against his throbbing forehead upon reading the latest report. Grand Duke Blake sent relentless protests day after day.

[Guiscard] "Curse it."

The King muttered a low oath, prompting Revius to let out a sigh as if his warnings had been proven correct.

[Revius] "Your execution was flawed. Launching a military action directly in the Grand Duke's courtyard stands as a glaring error."

Did Grand Duke Blake deliberately harbor Dianna Brienne knowing her identity, or had he been oblivious?

[Guiscard] "Concealing an individual sought by the King constitutes treason, does it not?"

Guiscard spoke coldly.

[Revius] "If the lady intended to conceal herself with utter determination……"

[Guiscard] "Grand Duke Blake is far from a fool."

Guiscard had slain a dragon and emerged as the 'Returned Prince.' The Grand Duke had offered no particular opposition to his ascension to the throne, even though a powerful rival candidate, Prince Mikhail, existed at the time.

The memory remained clear. From their very first encounter, Guiscard knew he would never get along with that man. White silver hair and purple eyes tinged with blue.

Although the Grand Duke swore an oath of loyalty, his detached demeanor carried absolutely no genuine devotion. Yet strangely, that gaze lingered in the King's memory—a face that neither viewed him as a rival nor as a sovereign worthy of true loyalty.

[Servant] "Your Majesty. The wo…… no, the lady requests an audience."

A servant reported quietly. Guiscard furrowed his brow in irritation. The dukes were all desperate to push their daughters onto him.

[Guiscard] "How many times must I command you to forbid uninvited guests?"

[Servant] "I…… forgive me. I shall tell her to return."

The servant whispered a sharp scolding to the attendant who delivered the message.

[Servant] "If even the high-born ladies are turned away, how could a Panborough woman possibly succeed? Use your brain and think……"

[Guiscard] "What? Who did you say it was?"

Guiscard demanded. The servant's face turned white as a sheet.

[Servant] "Good heavens…… that Panborough woman wishes to speak with Your Majesty urgently…… Forgive me. I shall handle this immediately—"

[Guiscard] "Bring her in at once!"

At his thunderous shout, the servants scrambled out of the room in panic. Guiscard rose from his desk unconsciously, his fingers tapping against his folded arms.

[Guiscard] "We shall conclude this later."

[Revius] "Good grief……"

Revius muttered, stepping outside. The door clicked shut. Soon, the door opened once more, and Guiscard turned around slowly to face the woman who entered.

Pale blonde hair reminiscent of moonlight captured his gaze. She wore no ornaments, which only heightened her absolute elegance. Her simple white attire radiated a brilliant quality.

[Dianna] "I greet Your Majesty."

Strangely, the Lodbrog style of greeting—resting a hand against her chest while lifting one side of her skirt—suited her far better than the traditional curtsy.

[Guiscard] "What brings you here…… Wait, how is your health?"

She blinked slowly. Her expression remained completely unreadable.

[Dianna] "Let us marry."

The declaration leaving her lips was shocking and unexpected. She consistently defied his expectations.

[Guiscard] "What sort of game are you playing?"

Dianna stared at his suspicious expression. She had no idea whether this gamble would succeed.

[Dianna] "In return, only for three years."

[Guiscard] "……."

[Dianna] "Only for the exact three years you spent by my side."

---

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